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Annual Bengals Pre-Free Agency Apologist Article Is Now Available


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Bengals Xtra is a weekly column from beat writers Jim Owczarski and Paul Dehner Jr. looking behind the scenes of Bengals football.

The close of Super Bowl LII officially turned the NFL to 2018, even if the new league year doesn’t begin until 4 p.m. on March 14. The NFL Scouting Combine runs from Feb. 27 through March 5 in Indianapolis, but the first big part of the offseason is free agency.

While Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis indicated in his re-introductory press conference in January that the club needed to be more effective in unrestricted free agency, early indications are the Bengals may not be as active in that market as one would think.

And it’s not all about the money.

But let’s start there.

The salary cap is expected to grow again by about $11 million and the salary tracking website overthcap.com has projected the Bengals’ cap space at $35.3 million, which is 13th most in the league. Included in that is the carryover of $10.6 million from last year.

The bulk of that carryover money is – as of today – already spent, however.

According to overthecap.com, the Bengals will likely need about $9.5 million to sign their 12 draft picks in April.

That is the sixth highest rookie pool allotment projected in 2018, trailing only Cleveland ($19), Denver ($11), the New York Giants ($10.6), New York Jets ($9.6) and Oakland ($9.5).

Unlike salary-tracking sites, which only account for the top 51 contracts, the Bengals count a full 53-man roster – so include another $1.1 million for Tony McRae and Alex Redmond. Teams typically set aside about another $1.1 million for the practice squad and the Bengals tend to allot around $5 million for in-season injury protections.  

All told, the club is likely going into free agency (or the summer extension season) with roughly $18 million to use.

So what will they do with it?

Well, this is where three Pro Bowlers and a largely brand-new coaching staff come in.

As of right now, there is a definite focus on signing All-Pro defensive tackle Geno Atkinsand Pro Bowl defensive end Carlos Dunlap to lucrative extensions before the first week of the regular season.

Why does that matter in March?

Because with extensions, the Bengals like to add money on to the current year and therefore, use up current cap space. The club would like to get both done so the franchise tag in 2019 does not have come into play.

 

So, the team will have to get a handle on what those deals would cost them in additional guaranteed money this year.

Two new coaches (defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and offensive line coach Frank Pollack) and one with a clean slate (offensive coordinator Bill Lazor) will help shape the rest of the Bengals’ free agency outlook.

 

How?

 

The most pressing in-house free agent Lewis, Lazor, Pollack and the front office will make a decision on is center Russell Bodine. Lewis stepped out at the Senior Bowl to say how important it was for the club to re-sign the 25-year-old starter, and he isn’t the only one in the building who thinks Bodine might be the best option available moving forward.

BX expects the Bengals to also make a move to bring back tackle Andre Smith, but it won’t be to start – so that could open things up for him elsewhere in a thin tackle market.

Austin and linebackers coach Jim Haslett will dive into their linebacking group and determine if Nick Vigil and Jordan Evans are ready to be impact starters. Both dealt with injury and inconsistency in 2017. If it’s decided that the pair is on the verge of becoming solid starters – if not stars – the team may not toss around tens of millions on the unrestricted free agent market. Don't be surprised if that decision is made.

Kevin Huber, who was the sixth-highest paid punter in the league in 2017 at $3.1 million, is another former Pro Bowler in the mix to be retained. But he will have options in the free market should he reach it. The Cincinnati native will be 33 in July, so special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons and the front office will have to decide if bringing Huber back, and at what number, is appropriate.

What does it mean? (Deep breath, Bengals fans.)

More of the same – an emphasis on retention, drafting impact players and some dabbling in the free agent and trade markets.

Bearcats shutout

The NFL released the names of the 336 players invited to the combine in just over two weeks and not a single University of Cincinnati player received a call. Ohio State will have 11 players on hand. Louisville had five players invited. Toledo and Western Kentucky each had two players invited. Bowling Green and Murray St. had one invitee apiece.

Bullock misses out

The lack of Bengals offense in 2017 hit kicker Randy Bullock in the pocketbook. Signed to a two-year, $1.57 million deal at the start of last season, BX learned Bullock had a performance escalator based on field goal percentage that would have paid him $110,000 more this season. While the 28-year-old had his best season by making 90 percent of his field goals with two misses (one of which was blocked) – he needed to attempt 25 field goals for the escalator to kick in. Bullock lined it up just 20 times in 2017, thus rendering the escalator invalid.

Whitworth departure sticks Bengals again

Not only did the departure of All-Pro left tackle Andrew Whitworth last year create a void on the field and in the locker room for the 2017 Bengals – and help the Los Angeles Rams reach the playoffs for the first time since 2004 – it will hurt the Bengals again in April.

Despite the fact that Whitworth was again an All-Pro, made another Pro Bowl, played 88.7 percent of the Rams’ snaps while being the seventh highest paid tackle in the league – the Bengals only get a fifth-round compensatory pick for him.

For any other player, those markers would make the comp pick the Bengals received for losing him a third-rounder. But because Whitworth is over 30 years old and has accrued 10 years in the league, a rule prevents the team such a player departs from being rewarded for letting him go.

Coaching staff finalized

As the wheel of new coaches spun into overdrive this January, the Bengals saw more turnover on staff than any point since hiring Marvin Lewis in 2003. A few familiar faces stuck around to put finishing touches on the staff as it enjoys off time prior to the Combine. 

Tight ends coach Jonathan Hayes, among the original group to join Lewis’ staff in ’03, will stay on as the tight ends coach.

If assessing the growth of those under his tutelage in recent years, Tyler Eifert played at a Pro Bowl level when healthy and Tyler Kroft progressed well when thrust in as the starter this past year in his absence.

Also, Brayden Coombs will stay for his seventh full staff season with the Bengals. He’ll stay in his same role as assistant special teams coach under Darrin Simmons. He will swap his previous role as a defensive quality control coach over to the offensive quality control side. 

Coombs’ father, Kerry, formerly of Colerain High School, University of Cincinnati and Ohio State, took his first NFL job this offseason as a secondary coach with the Titans under first-year coach Mike Vrabel.

This means six of the 19 coaches on the full-time opening day staff of the Bengals last year are gone, including a new defensive coordinator. In Lewis’ first 10 years as head coach, he never had more than three new coaches added to the staff in any one year. Partially due to coordinator promotion, he’s topped that mark now three times in the last five seasons.

Four new coaches arrived in 2014, though, an extra position was added to the full-time staff that year. Then six new coaches came on board in 2016 (two quality control) and again six new faces this year. – Paul Dehner Jr.

 

If only the Bengals didn't have that rookie draft pool, in-season injury allotment, and practice squad budget to deal with. 

 

I'm not sure how the Eagles were allowed to get away with skipping over that stuff last year.

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While that article was being written by Cincinnati's own Woodward and Bernstein:

 

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The Pittsburgh Stealers made a couple of moves to free up significant cap space, which has everything to do with their pursuit of signing Le’Veon Bell to a long-term deal.

 

Field Yates of ESPN reports Pittsburgh reworked the contracts of defensive end Stephon Tuitt and guard David DeCastro, freeing up $13.26 million ahead of the new league year.

 

Source: the Stealers have created $13.26M in cap space for 2018 by reworking the deals of G David DeCastro and DE Stephon Tuitt. Each player reduced his base salary to $790K for 2018, converting the rest of his base salary and a roster bonus into a signing bonus.

 
 

 

Likely, these won’t be the only moves the Stealers make to free up cap space. We already know Bell is aiming to set a new market for top-tier NFL running backs, and he recently made a chance to his social media handle that certainly makes a point about his intentions.

 

 

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Reserving 5 mil for injury replacements is fighting with an arm tied behind our backs. We certainly don't need to extend both Atkins and Dunlap this offseason. Good thing we didn't take that view with Eifert last year. While I expect the Bengals to foolishly give Huber a raise, we don't really need a $4 mil punter. What we do need are a couple of solid veteran O-linemen. But they're a luxury we can't afford after all our money is committed elsewhere.

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5 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

Reserving 5 mil for injury replacements is fighting with an arm tied behind our backs. We certainly don't need to extend both Atkins and Dunlap this offseason. Good thing we didn't take that view with Eifert last year. While I expect the Bengals to foolishly give Huber a raise, we don't really need a $4 mil punter. What we do need are a couple of solid veteran O-linemen. But they're a luxury we can't afford after all our money is committed elsewhere.

All of what you say makes sense, but I just don’t see them operating that way.

 

They are the most closed-minded organization in sports. 

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So what I gathered is that the Bengals already don't have any money for free agency..

and it's super fucking important to resign Bodine..

 

oh... and the "early indications that the Bengals might not be as active in free agency as one would think" comment is golden...lol

 

you guy pumped for 2018 or what???????? 

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1 hour ago, fluhartz said:

So what I gathered is that the Bengals already don't have any money for free agency..

and it's super fucking important to resign Bodine..

 

oh... and the "early indications that the Bengals might not be as active in free agency as one would think" comment is golden...lol

 

you guy pumped for 2018 or what???????? 

Well, I thought we might pick up a low 2nd tier player or two in the second week of FA.  Are my dreams now shattered???

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7 minutes ago, SF2 said:

Well, I thought we might pick up a low 2nd tier player or two in the second week of FA.  Are my dreams now shattered???

I'd just assume anyone we bring in from another team via free agency is going to do nothing here.

 

I had high-ish hopes for Laveranues Coles, Karlos Dansby, James Harrison, Kevin Minter, Denarius Moore, and Travelle Wharton when they each came here. Dansby was probably the best of that bunch and that's unfortunate to say. There have been a few other guys here and there to play a lot of snaps and "start" for us but that doesn't mean they were great players. The 2 best outside free agents we've signed (recently at least) were an old Terence Newman and a redeemer project in Adam Jones. Brandon LaFell and Cedric Benson are close unless I'm forgetting someone else.

 

I guess I don't blame the Bengals for not targeting more free agents and throwing money at these guys. They have no clue how to evaluate players that would actually be good here anyway. Maybe the team should hire someone who can talk them into realizing how stupid it is to set aside a billion dollars for rookies and an injury fund and instead try to find good UFAs to sign. Or not because ya know, reality kind of sucks when you're a Bengals fan in the offseason.

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1 hour ago, omgdrdoom said:

I'd just assume anyone we bring in from another team via free agency is going to do nothing here.

 

I had high-ish hopes for Laveranues Coles, Karlos Dansby, James Harrison, Kevin Minter, Denarius Moore, and Travelle Wharton when they each came here. Dansby was probably the best of that bunch and that's unfortunate to say. There have been a few other guys here and there to play a lot of snaps and "start" for us but that doesn't mean they were great players. The 2 best outside free agents we've signed (recently at least) were an old Terence Newman and a redeemer project in Adam Jones. Brandon LaFell and Cedric Benson are close unless I'm forgetting someone else.

 

I guess I don't blame the Bengals for not targeting more free agents and throwing money at these guys. They have no clue how to evaluate players that would actually be good here anyway. Maybe the team should hire someone who can talk them into realizing how stupid it is to set aside a billion dollars for rookies and an injury fund and instead try to find good UFAs to sign. Or not because ya know, reality kind of sucks when you're a Bengals fan in the offseason.

Seriously?  How can you say paying a 32 year old Coles $9.75 mil guaranteed to play for us for one year was a bad move?   Harrison?  Stud.  What about Antonio Bryant?? How can you forget the $8 mil guaranteed for a guy missing a knee?  Hater.  :ninja:

  

I actually believe the Bryant signing was what changed the way Mike and Marvin approach FA.  It has become a never again approach.  They got screwed once vowed never again,.. until Coles.  They sure love to over pay for slightly above average WRs.

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6 minutes ago, SF2 said:

Seriously?  How can you say paying a 32 year old Coles $9.75 mil guaranteed to play for us for one year was a bad move?   Harrison?  Stud.  What about Antonio Bryant?? How can you forget the $8 mil guaranteed for a guy missing a knee?  Hater.  :ninja:

 

I actually believe the Bryant signing was what changed the way Mike and Marvin approach FA.  It has become a never again approach. 

It's just frustrating to see how our team's cap space is allocated and we should really be more competitive right now.

 

Andy's contract looks better and better with each new QB signed.

We had Eifert for 4 years for what Gronk costs for 1.

Our highest paid OL (Boling) is 72nd in average salary in the entire NFL. We have the cheapest line in the league.

Dunlap is a borderline elite RDE and there are 17+ guys that have contracts with higher avg salary.

Are there 10 better DTs than Geno right now? That's how many are getting paid more than him.

Other than Burfict's genius extension we pay our LBs pennies.

 

Basically our safeties are being paid a fair rate for medium to good starters, our RBs are in line with what you pay for decent to good players like Gio (and Mixon on rookie deal obviously), WRs are being paid at the going rate, and our CBs are overpaid for their recent performance. Other than that our entire team is built on a budget or have become among the league's best value at almost every position yet we can't figure out how to win more than 6 or 7 fucking games in a season. We can always find a way to re-sign our shit tier backups and rollover $10M for "future extensions" and set aside more money than anyone else in the league for a "midseason injury fund", but why not use the team friendly QB, OL, TE, DE, DT, and LB contracts wisely and put a little extra money into places that matter to win more games?

 

I understand that winning in the NFL is easier said than done but I honestly do believe that some of the Bengals problems are so obvious that even us dumbass fans could fix one or two of them.

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1 hour ago, omgdrdoom said:

It's just frustrating to see how our team's cap space is allocated and we should really be more competitive right now.

 

Andy's contract looks better and better with each new QB signed.

We had Eifert for 4 years for what Gronk costs for 1.

Our highest paid OL (Boling) is 72nd in average salary in the entire NFL. We have the cheapest line in the league.

Dunlap is a borderline elite RDE and there are 17+ guys that have contracts with higher avg salary.

Are there 10 better DTs than Geno right now? That's how many are getting paid more than him.

Other than Burfict's genius extension we pay our LBs pennies.

 

Basically our safeties are being paid a fair rate for medium to good starters, our RBs are in line with what you pay for decent to good players like Gio (and Mixon on rookie deal obviously), WRs are being paid at the going rate, and our CBs are overpaid for their recent performance. Other than that our entire team is built on a budget or have become among the league's best value at almost every position yet we can't figure out how to win more than 6 or 7 fucking games in a season. We can always find a way to re-sign our shit tier backups and rollover $10M for "future extensions" and set aside more money than anyone else in the league for a "midseason injury fund", but why not use the team friendly QB, OL, TE, DE, DT, and LB contracts wisely and put a little extra money into places that matter to win more games?

 

I understand that winning in the NFL is easier said than done but I honestly do believe that some of the Bengals problems are so obvious that even us dumbass fans could fix one or two of them.

This is an excellent post!

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44 minutes ago, USN Bengal said:

Reggie Nelson... only one of warrant that you missed IMHO.

Well he was via trade where we've actually done quite well. Not many trades have hurt us and some have really helped us.

 

Carson sitting on his couch turned into Dre Kirk + Gio

Ocho past his prime turned into Marvin Jones + Cobi Hamilton plus we probably wouldn't have drafted A.J. Green when we did if Chad was still around

7th round pick in 2013 for Taylor Mays who was super underrated in stripes IMO and played a good nickel hybrid S/LB spot for us when we had one of the leagues better defenses

David Jones was traded for Reggie which was obviously a landslide win in our favor

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On 2/12/2018 at 8:11 AM, fluhartz said:

So what I gathered is that the Bengals already don't have any money for free agency..

and it's super fucking important to resign Bodine..

 

oh... and the "early indications that the Bengals might not be as active in free agency as one would think" comment is golden...lol

 

you guy pumped for 2018 or what???????? 

It's all part of a smokescreen, don't worry! 1/2 :ninja:

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20 hours ago, omgdrdoom said:

It's just frustrating to see how our team's cap space is allocated and we should really be more competitive right now.

 

Andy's contract looks better and better with each new QB signed.

We had Eifert for 4 years for what Gronk costs for 1.

Our highest paid OL (Boling) is 72nd in average salary in the entire NFL. We have the cheapest line in the league.

Dunlap is a borderline elite RDE and there are 17+ guys that have contracts with higher avg salary.

Are there 10 better DTs than Geno right now? That's how many are getting paid more than him.

Other than Burfict's genius extension we pay our LBs pennies.

 

Basically our safeties are being paid a fair rate for medium to good starters, our RBs are in line with what you pay for decent to good players like Gio (and Mixon on rookie deal obviously), WRs are being paid at the going rate, and our CBs are overpaid for their recent performance. Other than that our entire team is built on a budget or have become among the league's best value at almost every position yet we can't figure out how to win more than 6 or 7 fucking games in a season. We can always find a way to re-sign our shit tier backups and rollover $10M for "future extensions" and set aside more money than anyone else in the league for a "midseason injury fund", but why not use the team friendly QB, OL, TE, DE, DT, and LB contracts wisely and put a little extra money into places that matter to win more games?

 

I understand that winning in the NFL is easier said than done but I honestly do believe that some of the Bengals problems are so obvious that even us dumbass fans could fix one or two of them.

Excellent.

First of all, what good are future extensions if the core of your roster is getting old? When you're sitting on a full house, do you reserve half of your chips for "future hands"? Not if you want to win. 

The "mid season injury fund" is complete and total bullshit. No other team in the league does this, and I can't remember the last time the Redskins had to play with 9 guys because they couldn't afford to sign a guy who was still sitting on his couch in October. We're worried that we might have to sign a league minimum guy? And yet we constantly roll over $10-$20 Million in unused cap. TOTAL bullshit.

I've said it before and again... Mike Brown is too busy saving money for his trophy case to actually win a trophy. He's too stubborn to ever admit that the way he's done business for 30 years isn't working. I mean, if the '90's didn't change him, why would the '10's? The sad part is that Katie seems to be cut from the same scrote flap as her old man. So... Another 30 years of this? Remember, "You don't understand how hard it is to run an NFL team." That's why Billionaires do it for fun.

I hate to say it, but I will be happy when Mike Brown dies. It will give me a glimmer of hope.

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